Late last week, in a move that signals that COVID-drama may be slowly be coming to a close, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dropped its recommendation for travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon returning from trips overseas or out of state during the coronavirus pandemic.
The CDC updated its guidelines on its website. Though the two-week recommendation was changed, the federal agency did caution travelers that they can still contract the novel coronavirus while traveling.“You may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to others,” the agency warns. “You and your travel companions (including children) may spread COVID-19 to other people including your family, friends, and community for 14 days after you were exposed to the virus.”
However, the governors of some states have opted to ignore the “experts” and are continuing to enforce restrictions for non-essential visitors traveling to their states.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo indicated Tuesday that New York’s travel advisory won’t be scrapped anytime soon.“The pandemic is not over,” Cuomo said.Cuomo did announce that five states — Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland and Montana — have been removed from New York state’s COVID-19 travel advisory to quarantine.
Apparently, the quarantine rules are not applicable to everyone headed to the Empire State.
When music’s biggest stars descend on New York for the Video Music Awards this week, NYPD cops will show up to check out the shows.But they won’t be judging the talent. Officers in the NYPD’s TV/Movie unit will see if the performers and their entourages are wearing masks and staying socially distant, city officials told The Post.Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and many others are set to perform at various outdoor locations “with limited or no audience” on Sunday, Aug. 30. The show’s original location at Barclays Arena was dropped due to COVID-19 concerns.“The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and Citywide Events is working in close coordination with the production to ensure guidelines are being followed,” a City Hall spokesperson said, adding that the NYPD unit will be doing “compliance checks during the production.”
California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom also disagrees with the CDC’s new guidance and insisted that it will not be implemented in the state.
“I don’t agree with the new CDC guidance. Period. Full stop,” he said. “We will not be influenced by that change.”Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said those traveling to places with high transmission rates should be mindful of the potential to contract the virus and expose others to it. She also reminded residents that L.A. County is a COVID-19 hot spot, and traveling from the community could present a risk to outsiders.“My message really is: whether you’re flying or staying home, you need to be mindful that we have to reduce our transmission,” she said. “The way we do that is by reducing exposure to other people.”
But I thought “settled science” and “experts” were suppose to decide policy.
On a related note, the CDC is also now saying that saying those who have been exposed to the virus may not need to be tested.
The agency is no longer recommending testing for most people without symptoms, even if they have been in close contact with someone who has had the virus.Under the previous guidelines, testing was appropriate for those with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic. But the CDC changed the recommendations on its website on Monday.Now the agency says those without symptoms who are exposed no longer need a test.
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